


Manic

by SinpaiCasanova



Series: Psychosis [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Horror, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Other, Psychosis, Running Away, Sequel, Suicidal Thoughts, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 14:56:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 16,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14046726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinpaiCasanova/pseuds/SinpaiCasanova
Summary: Mark and Jack are on the run, but you can't outrun something that's apart of you.(This is the sequel to Psychosis. I suggest you read that one before starting this book, otherwise you'll be terribly confused.)





	1. Chapter 1

Signe stood at the bottom of the basement steps, a horrifying sight standing before her. The love of her life was bloody and broken, staring at her with a look she could only describe as lustful, but a different sort of lust. He looked like he wanted to hurt her, like the sound of her pain sticken cries would please him to no end. He took a step forward, her taking a step back in fear. This wasn't the man she loved, not anymore. The creature that stood before her was something demonic, a blood thirsty savage who wanted to cause pain and bring chaos. It cocked it's head to the side, never taking its eyes off of her. Though she was afraid, some part of her believed if she reached out to it, that it would bring Jack back to her. 

"Baby..what has he done to you?! Come on, we have to get of here before he wakes up!" Her voice trembled, breaking as her dry throat forced out the words.  
It's demeanor seemed to soften, inching forward until it was a few inches in front of her. It's movements were odd, it's head and body twitching at random intervals. When it spoke, it's voice sounded like Jack's, but the pitch would constantly change. It ran it's blood soaked fingers down her cheek, looking her up and down before smiling at her. She didn't like when it smiled. It's eyes shot up to the top of the stairs as a figure rushed past it, running out the back door as the sound of police sirens echoed around the room. It brought it's gaze back to her, grabbing her by the back of her hair and dragging her up the stairs as she kicked and screamed. She felt a hot searing pain rip through her stomach as she was pulled over a jagged piece of glass at the top of the stairs. In the process, she lost the gun she had tucked into her belt, leaving it in the basement. In an act of pure adrenaline, she kicked out the back of its legs, making it momentarily lose its grasp on her as she sprinted out the back door. She held onto her wounded stomach as she ran through the thick woods that surrounded the back of house. Blood seeped through her fingers, leaving a trail behind her. Pain spread like fire all throughout her body as she tore the wound open more while she ran. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing it was right behind her. Panic and fear surged through her veins as she ran, stumbling over downed tree branches and rocks. The look in its eyes was what truly terrified her. They were filled with amusement, like this was some sort of game. They revealed just how manic this being was. It was snarling and growling like a rabid animal, reaching out for her hair as it flowed behind her. As it was just about to reach her, she lost her footing and collided with the ground, rolling down a hill and smacking into several rocks and branches. She sat up in a daze, glancing around her to see where it was. It was gone, leaving the unpleasant feeling of paranoia behind. She crawled to a place where she thought she could hide, wincing in pain as she realised just how bad she was hurt. With her back pressed up against a tree, she tried to calm her rapid breathing, looking down at her wound as the bleeding increased. She heard a high pitched cackle, looking around for the source as her heart thumped against her chest. Before she had time to react, a figure dropped out of the tree above her, crouching down like a lion ready for the kill. It crawled over to her, a wild grin spreading slowly across its lips.  
"I can smell your blood, it's intoxicating.."  
It licked it's lips, getting extremely close to her face as it drew in a deep breath through its nose. Signe squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face as her brain tried to find a way to escape.

"S-sèan...w-why are you doing this? Baby it's me, it's Signe. Please don't hurt me again."

It cocked his head to the side, its smile fading as it raised a hand to her cheek. She recoiled at its touch, making its expression twist into anger.  
"Sean? Don't you recognize me? This is what they wanted. An unpredictable, savage, demonic beast with a bloodlust for anything that draws near! He tried to resist me, but thanks to Dark, I finally broke him. He can see this you know. Wanna say anything before you die?"

Signe sobbed as Anti ran his tongue up her cheek, grabbing something sharp from behind his back.

"Sèan! Don't do this, I love you.."  
He leaned in close, his lips against her neck.  
"I'm going to enjoy eating you alive."


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of gurgled screams and grunts echoed though the woods as he viciously attacked her. The last image she was able to see was of the man she loved hovering over her face, covered in her blood. Her heart slowed as she slipped into darkness, the slow thumping sound filling her head as her vision faded. They say that your hearing is the last to go before you die, but the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own heart failing. 

Thump

Thump 

Thump

Silence..

The sound of leaves rustling and footsteps crunching the earth beneath him caught his attention. Someone was behind him, watching him as he fed. Anti slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting with a familiar pair of black irises. He rose to his feet, leaving Signe's body behind as he walked towards Dark. He greeted him with a smile, glancing past Anti to gaze upon the lifeless body on the ground.

"Did she put up much of a fight?"

"Not as much as I wanted her to."

Anti nodded towards the wound on Dark's shoulder, his mouth beginning to water at the smell of his blood.

"What happened to you?"

Dark glanced down at his hand covering up the gunshot wound, blood seeping through his fingers and saturating his shirt.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. I have it under control."

Dark winced as the pain coursed through his shoulder, causing his eyes to flicker back and forth between black and brown.

"Doesn't look like it. You're gonna lose him." 

"It's fine, I just need to rest." 

Dark sat down on the ground, his head spinning from the blood loss. Anti's own body began to shake, his eyes changing as Jack's influence became stronger.

"You need to rest too Anti, it takes a lot of energy to possess someone."

"I'm fine!" Anti snapped, his body beginning to tremble.

"Anti, I need to heal and so do you.."

He let out a ragged breath, running a blood soaked hand through his matted green hair. Anti crouched down next to him, about to say something when his attention was drawn to the sound of a police siren and shouting. The officers were close by, searching the property for Signe and anyone else that may be involved.  
Anti closed his eyes, opening them to reveal a pair of very scared baby blues. Dark was close to passing out, letting Mark take control as his eyes changed back to chestnut brown. Jack looked around him, confused as to how he got here, then his eyes saw Mark. He was barely conscious, losing more blood as his hand slid off the wound down into his lap. Mark's heavy eyes lifted to meet Jack's, his voice strained as he tried to speak. His blurred vision could faintly make out the shape of a smaller male in front of him with green hair.

"Jack?"

Jack fell back, scooting away frantically as he remembered everything that had happened to him at the house. Mark sat forward, extending a hand towards him.

"No, No stay the fuck away from me you son of a bitch!" Jack shouted, panic and fear lacing his words. Mark sat back, wincing as his shoulder throbbed and burned. 

"It's ok, calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you, Jack. I never would've let Dark touch you if I could've helped it."

Jack froze, a look of confusion on his face. He crept a little closer to him, noticing how badly wounded he was. His eyes reflecting a broken man filled with regret. This wasn't the person that caused him so much pain, this was his friend and he really needed a friend right now.

"Mark? Is that really you?"

"Yes.. I'm so sorry."

Jack practically tackled him, wrapping him in a tight hug that he didn't think he deserved. They embraced each other like it had been years since their last meeting, atleast it felt that way to them. Mark groaned as Jack accidentally grazed his shoulder. Jack sat back up, trying to lift up Mark's shirt so he could get a better look at his wound. Mark grabbed his hand, unsure what he was doing.

"Jack what-"

"Mark shut up, just let me stop the bleeding."

He pulled off Mark's shirt, ripping it into long sections as he inspected the wound. He wrapped the sections of cloth around his shoulder tightly, a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Why are you helping me? After all the shit I put you through."

"I can't just leave you here Mark. You're gonna bleed out if i don't do something."

Jack finished off the makeshift dressing, tying Mark's arm in a sling with the remaining cloth. Mark's color looked awful, his usual tan skin looked almost gray. He had lost a lot of blood and needed to get to a hospital. Mark smiled up at Jack who returned the gesture.

"Thank you. I'm sorry about Felix and Signe-"

"Don't, just don't.." Jack whispered as his voice cracked with sorrow. There was no time to grieve right now, he had to get Mark some help before it was too late. He'd already lost two of the people closest to him, he wasn't going to lose another. He stood up, slinging Mark's arm around his shoulder so he could walk. 

"Jack, I don't mean to embarrass you but, we need to find you something to wear."

Jack looked down at himself, not seeming to care that he was without apparel. That was the least of his worries.

"Well I'm not embarrassed, you've seen more of me than Signe has by now..but I can run back to the house and grab some things once the police are gone. We can't stay here so we'll need to keep moving."

Mark sighed, looking forward as they limped through the thick woods. Both of them had experienced tragedy at the hands of these monsters, unaware if they would return.These creatures were their burden, no one else needed to die because of them. 

"Yeah, there's nothing left for us here."


	3. Chapter 3

Jack drifted off to sleep, quietly listening to the sound of Mark's heavy breathing. The room was dark and quiet as the lines between this world and the next blurred, lulling him into a false sense of security. He opened his eyes, stunned to find that he was no longer laying on the couch. He was on the floor in what appeared to be an abandoned cabin. The smell of dust and rotten wood filled his senses as he looked around the dimly lit room. He could hear the floor creak and groan as he stood up, turning around to get a better grasp on his surroundings. He could faintly hear the sound of someone talking upstairs, the floor groaning with their movements as dust fell from the ceiling. Jack quietly crept up the stairs, seeing a small light coming from a room opposite him. He recognised the familiar voice, walking towards it like a sirens song. He pushed open the door, gasping as his eyes gazed upon a terrified Mark. He had multiple lacerations on his arms, his black hair clung to his forehead slick with sweat. His eyes widened when he saw Jack standing in the doorway, quickly pulling him into the room with him. He grabbed Jack's shoulder, placing a finger in front of his lips in a shushing motion. 

"We're not alone here.."

"Mark, what's going on?! What happened to you?" Jack whispered quietly.

"I was asleep on the couch and woke up here, then I was attacked."

Jack raised his eyebrow, the gravity of the situation dawning on him. 

"You woke up here too?"

Mark seemed confused at first, but soon came to the same conclusion as Jack, this was a waking nightmare, and somehow they were sharing it.

"Yeah. Stay close to me, that thing is somewhere in this house."  
Mark grabbed Jack's hand tightly, leading him out the door and down the stairs.  
"Where are we going, Mark?"

"Anywhere but here."  
Mark suddenly froze, making Jack smack into the back of him. He looked up at Mark, about to say something but stopped when he saw the petrified look in his eyes. Mark's gaze was fixed on a dark figure standing in the corner of the room, it's aura blurring and pulsing. It gave off a feeling of terror like he's never experienced before, anxiety and paranoia engulfing them both. 

"Jaaaack.." the figure sang out, it's voice sounding like it was mixed with radio static.  
It crept closer to them, Mark squeezed Jacks hand to the point where he heard a popping sound, causing Jack to try and wiggle free.

"Did you think I was gone for good?"

Jack didn't respond, instead he pulled Mark closer to him. 

"I'm not going anywhere, I've worked too hard for this body to give it up."

"Anti.." Jack whispered into Mark's back, his face buried in the back of his shirt. Anti giggled, pulling out a sharp blade as his figure became more defined. He ran his nails down the metal, making them grit their teeth at the sound. Jack didn't even have time to react as he was suddenly pulled away from Mark, held tightly in Anti's grip as Mark flew back into the wall. He collapsed with an audible thud, groaning at the pain coursing through his body. Anti looked down into Jack's eyes, smiling as he could feel the fear radiating off of him. He leaned in close, their faces inches apart.

"Do you wanna know why I chose your depression as my disguise? You wouldn't have accepted me if you saw me for what I really am. I needed you to be willing, to let me merge with your soul. You two are very much alike, quickly dismissing our presence as nothing more than a mental breakdown. You were so easy to manipulate, thinking I was just a mental projection of your own fucked up mind."

"What do you want from me?!"

"I want what I don't have anymore. Life."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to. This body is mine, your soul is MINE! And I always get what I want!"  
Anti raised up the knife, about to bring in down into Jack's chest when he was hit over the back of the head, stunning him briefly. Anti dropped Jack, turning to see Mark with a thick slab of wood in his hand. He smacked Anti again, making him drop to his knees as Jack scurried away. Mark followed after him, bursting though the front door into the woods. They ran as if their lives depended on it, feeling their lungs burn as they sprinted through the trees. The moon casted a dull light through the woods, making it very hard to see where they were going. Mark grabbed Jack by the shirt, pulling him down behind a large tree. The two panted as they tried to steady their rapid breathing, freezing once they heard a twig snap behind them. Jack peered out from behind the tree, seeing Anti and Dark walking towards them. 

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Anti sang out, hearing Dark chuckle.  
Jack pressed his back up against the tree, placing his hand over Mark's mouth to keep him quiet. 

"You can't hide from me boy!" Dark growled, his attention fixed on finding Mark. The environment fell oddly quiet, not even the crickets were making a sound. Mark turned his head at the sound of a deep voice next to his ear, jumping as his eyes met Dark's.  
"Miss me?" Dark hissed, grabbing Mark and yanking him away from Jack. Dark drug Mark to the lake nearby while Anti was busy drawing different patterns on Jack's skin with the blade. Dark dunked his head into the lake, holding him there as he struggled to break free. Anti soon joined in the fun, holding Jack's head still so he could watch.

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and Mark is pretty fucking close to meeting him right now!" Dark growled.

Jack struggled, screwing his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to watch anymore. Anti pinned him against the cold ground, raising his blade above his eyes.  
"No no no! If you're not gonna watch then what's the point of even having eyes."  
As the blade entered his eye, Jack shot up on the couch, panting and sweating profusely. Mark was awake as well, softly crying from the dream. Jack ran over to him, pulling him into a tight hug that they both needed. The two of them quietly sobbing into each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

They walked in silence, letting each other silently grieve. The events of the past few weeks taking a toll on them mentally as well as physically. It was getting harder for Mark to support his own weight, making Jack bear the brunt of it as he limped. Jack had a sadness in his eyes that made the world feel that much colder. He was always a ray of sunshine in Mark's eyes, always knowing the right things to say or offering comfort to those who needed it, always finding a way to stay positive. But now, he had nothing left to give, nothing to say to ease the pain, looking to Mark for comfort and reassurance, but knowing he had none to give. As they neared the house, Jack lowered Mark to the ground, crouching behind a bush to survey the area. He didn't see any officers in the backyard, no flashing lights around the front of the house. The sun had begun to set, the air cooling down a few degrees. Jack shivered, goosebumps spreading all over his bare body. He waited a few more minutes, finally walking towards the house, leaving Mark behind as he would only slow him down. He crouched down as he neared the opened back door, listening for any movement. He slowly stepped into the house, walking towards the guest room and grabbing his bag. The house appeared empty, giving him the confidence to quickly wash up in the bathroom. His reflection repulsed him, noticing how his bones showed through his skin due to how thin he had become, the amount of bruises and cuts that covered him, Signe's blood that was dried to his sickly skin. He stepped into the tub, pushing the memory of Dark drowning him out of his mind. He couldn't linger any longer than he had to, quickly scrubbing the blood and dirt off of him as it mixed with the water and flowed down the drain. He dried himself off, tending to the open wounds that he had himself, before throwing on his black skinny jeans and a short sleeve black top. He hated the way his clothes hung off his body, barely staying up as he walked. He grabbed a few of Mark's things along with some non perishable food and some water bottles. He slung the bags over his shoulder, taking a quick look around before running back out to the spot were he left Mark. He was barely breathing, his skin color looking even worse than it did previously. Jack threw the bags on the ground next to him, taking Mark's face into his hands as he tried desperately to wake him up. Mark's eyes fluttered open, meeting Jack's worried gaze.

"What took you so long?" He breathed, unable to speak normally.

"Sorry, I had to wash off all that blood..you ok to walk? We gotta find shelter before it gets too dark to see."

"I'll try."

Jack grabbed the bags, pulling them across his shoulders as Mark sat up slowly, grabbing Jacks hand so that he could stand. He pulled Mark's arm behind his shoulder, supporting his weight as they started to walk. They trekked on for what seemed like hours until Mark's knees finally gave out, sending both of them crashing to the ground. They heard a voice call out to them from the darkness, unable to see it's origin. 

"You boys need some help?"

A tall man with gray thinning hair walked into view. He looked like your average blue collar worker, someone who maybe lived out here in the woods. He knelt down in front of them, observing their condition as he reached a hand out to Jack. He reluctantly accepted it, standing to his feet. The man glanced down at Mark, giving him a concerned look.

"Your friend looks to be in real bad shape. Need some help? I could call someone if need be."

"No! No calls please. He got shot yesterday and I think it's getting infected."

He raised an eyebrow, his green eyes narrowing a bit.

"Shot? What exactly are you two running from?"

"Something bad. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

He shook his head, scratching the back of his neck before looking back at Jack. He paused for a moment, thinking about what he should do.

"Alright..well, I can offer you both some medical care, feed you, and give you a bed for the night, but that's about it."

Jack was stunned, the level of kindness coming from this stranger was a bit unsettling.

"I appreciate that but, you don't even know us. Why are you helping us?"

"Because I'm not a piece of shit, now do you want the help or not?"

"Y-yes of course."

"Alright then, help me get him up. The house isn't too far from here. Name's Dale by the way."

"I'm Jack and this is Mark. We really do appreciate your help."

"I know."

Jack and Dale helped Mark up, each supporting his dead weight as they carried him to the house. At this point, he was slipping into unconsciousness, the makeshift bandages soaked with fresh blood. They brought him through the front door, placing him down on a wooden table as Dale lifted up the cloth that covered his wound.

"Oh shit, it's a good thing I found you two when I did. I can see the slug buried in his muscle. I'll need to remove it but it's gonna hurt like a bitch. You'll need to hold him down so he doesn't move."

"You a doctor or something?"

"Veterinarian. Mostly livestock but it's better than nothing."

"Oh, how convenient." Jack mumbled to himself.

"I'll dress his wound and give him some fluids. I'll need to watch him for a few days to see if he develops an infection. I'll take a look at you too. You seem pretty banged up yourself and in need of a good meal, you're practically skin and bone."

"Thanks.."

The thought of food made his empty stomach cramp up, having been empty for so long. As hungry as he was, it could be a while before he's able to eat normally again.

"Let me just grab my medical bag and I'll be right back. Keep your eye on him while I'm gone."

Jack glanced down at Mark, giving him a weak smile as he grabbed his hand. Mark was all he had left, and he'd do whatever it takes to keep him alive.


	5. Chapter 5

Dale returned to where Jack and Mark were, medical bag in hand. He unzipped the bag and removed some 4x4s, gauze wrap, saline, and forceps. He also had an IV start kit with a bag of lactated ringers. He put on gloves and placed the IV into Mark's good arm, waiting until after he removed the slug to run the solution. He looked up at Jack, whose face had begun to pale at the sight of Mark's open wound.  
"You gonna be alright?"

Jack kept his eyes on Mark, watching his chest rise and fall as he sucked in uneven breaths.

"Yeah, just not used to this type of stuff."  
Dale grabbed his forceps, hovering them over the bullet wound. 

"I'm ready when you are. Remember you have to hold him tightly. He can't move or I could damage the tissue even more."

Jack let go of Mark's hand, placing a hand on his arm and one on his chest. He sucked in a deep breath before giving Dale the ok.

"Ok. I'm ready."  
Dale dug the forceps into Mark's tender flesh, feeling around for the tip of the bullet still lodged in his shoulder. Mark's eyes snapped open, lifting his head off the table as he screamed. Pain shot up and down his arm as Dale continued to dig. Jack pressed down on him with all the strength he had, trying to keep him still. Mark's eyes screwed shut as he barred his teeth, tears rolling down his cheeks from the amount of pain he was feeling. Dale finally grasped the bullet, pulling it out with a wet popping sound. Mark's head fell back on the table, his eyes opening, looking up at Jack for comfort. Jack moved his hand to Mark's hair, stroking it as Dale began to clean out the hole in his shoulder. Mark hissed in pain as the saline entered his shoulder, spilling over his bare chest. Dale packed the wound with the 4x4s and wrapped the gauze around his shoulder. Mark let out a sigh of relief as he finished tending to his wound, smiling up at Jack who was still running his thin fingers through his hair.

"You ok buddy?"

Mark gave him a weak smile, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Y-yeah I'm good. It just hurts like a bitch."

Dale started the IV, letting the solution run slowly. He handed Mark two white pills and a glass of water. Mark looked at them with a questionable expression.

"What's that?"

"Percocet. It'll take the edge off the pain."

"You just have that lying around?"

"No, I hurt my back a few months ago and been on em' ever since. Thought you might need em' more than i do right now."

"Thanks."  
Mark sat up and tossed the pills into his mouth, washing them down with the water. Dale led him to the couch in the living room and set up a makeshift bed. Mark layed down, pulling the blanket over himself and closed his eyes, the medication going straight to his head in a matter of minutes.   
"You just rest while I have a look at your friend here."  
Mark nodded as he fell asleep rather quickly. Dale sat Jack on the table, removing his bandages and glancing over his cuts and bruises. His eyes widened when he saw the large bite on Jack's right arm.

"Wow, that's a nasty lookin' bite. What kinda animal gave you that?"  
Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to tell him the truth, afraid of what his reaction might be to hearing something like that. He settled on leaving out the details, feeling horrible about lying to the man that's given them so much in such a short amount of time.  
"It wasn't an animal."

"You're telling me a person bit you?"

"Yeah."

"Dear God, I've never seen a human bite that looked like that. And what about your neck? Looks all scratched up, you're definitely gonna have a scar  from that."

"Came from the same person that bit me."

"Is that who you two are running from?"

"Yeah.."  
Dale cleaned the bite on his arm and the scratches on his neck, wrapping a clean dressing on them. He handed Jack the same pills he gave to Mark, along with some water.

"Well you're all done, I'll give you an IV as well since you look dehydrated. You hungry?"  
Jack swallowed the pills, his mood lifting at the sound of food.

"Oh God yes."

"Well there's some stew on the stove in the kitchen. It's not much but you're  welcome to it. Eat up and get some rest as well, you need it."

"Thanks again, Dale. You saved our lives."

"Don't mention it. You see someone in need, you help them."

Dale started up Jacks IV, handed him a bowl of stew and sat him on the other couch across from Mark. Dale wished them a good night before heading to his room to sleep. Jack ate slowly, savoring the meal since he had forgotten the last time he'd been allowed to eat. When he had finished, he set the bowl down and snuggled up under the covers, his heavy lids closing instantly.


	6. Chapter 6

The two embraced each other, giving the other a silent sense of comfort and affection. Even though Jack and Mark had been through some truly horrifying experiences, and had lost loved ones, they remained close to each other. But one thing still remained, an issue that stuck in both of their minds, causing friction between them. This elephant in the room that needed to be addressed in order for the two to move on and receive closure. Jack rested his weary head on Mark's chest, careful to avoid touching his injured shoulder. Mark in turn rested his head on Jack's, wrapping him up in his arms, the two of them cuddling for the very first time in their relationship. This wasn't a romantic thing, neither of them saw it that way, just two friends comforting one another. Jack could hear Anti whispering inside his head, reminding him of that terrible night with Dark. He needed to ask Mark about it, to distinguish between the lies and what was the truth. Without moving from Mark's embrace, he took a deep breath and asked him.

"Mark, I need to ask you about something. I can't get it out of my mind, no matter how hard I try to forget. I'm just afraid of what your answer will be."

Mark let out a long sigh, squeezing Jack closer to him, feeling like he would lose him forever of he let him go.  
"I think I know what you're gonna ask me, it's ok Jack. We need to talk about this."  
Jack felt tears welling up in his eyes, the memory of what Dark did to him that night felt like a knife in his chest, twisting each time it came to mind.

"Did you know he was gonna do that to me? Could you see what he was doing?"  
Mark paused for a moment before answering him. He ran his hands up and down Jack's back as he felt his tears run down his bare chest.

"Yes.. I'm so sorry he did that to you Jack. I couldn't stop him, no matter how hard I tried."

Jack pulled away from him, now looking into his eyes as striking blue mixed with soft brown.

"What's done is done, I mean, yes it destroyed me when it happened but, it was what he said to me before it happened that hurt me the most."

"What did he say?"

"That you thought about doing that to me, that you wanted me like that and that my innocence was a gift to you.." 

Mark lowered his head, tearing his eyes away from Jack.

"Shit, Jack don't listen to him. Dark is a pathological liar, he'll say anything to manipulate you. That's what he was created to be."

"But was any of that true? I need to know, Mark."

"I'm gonna hate myself for telling you this but, yes, part of that was true."

"Which part?"

"That I've thought about you in that way before, that I did have feelings for you at one point in our relationship. But, it's obviously different now."

Jack seemed surprised by that statement. He never once suspected anything like that from Mark.

"You did? What's different about it now?"

"Everything. I saw how uncomfortable I made things between us, I don't wanna lose you again or drive you away Jack, so I buried the way I felt about you. Eventually I decided that it was just better for us to be friends than to be lovers. It was never gonna happen anyway."

Jack threw his arms around Mark once again, guilt filling him up inside as Anti's voice taunted him.

"I'm sorry Mark. I didnt know you ever felt that way."

"Don't be sorry Jack. It would've only complicated things more. I see that now."

"What are we gonna do Mark? We can't just let them win. We have to keep fighting."

"Then that's what we'll do Jack. You're all I've got left in this world, and I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

Jack smiled into Mark's chest, feeling that much safer next to him than he previously did. He felt his heavy lids start to close as Mark layed back on the couch, pulling Jack up next to him. They felt safe with each other, letting their exhaustion overtake them as they drifted back to sleep. Each nightmare would only intensify, their worst fears being brought to the surface as they slept. Mark began to stir as he slipped deeper into unconsciousness, his own body rebelling against what was coming for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Mark's eyes snapped open to reveal a black silhouette sitting on his chest, pinning him down against the couch. The figure leaned down when it saw that his eyes were open, bringing it's face into the moonlight that spilled in through the window above them. 

"J-jack?! What are you doing?!"

He smirked, running his cold fingers down Mark's face as he closed the gap between them. Mark turned his face to the side to avoid his gaze, his cold eyes that bore straight into him. His face hovered inches above Mark's as he ran his tongue up his cheek, making Mark shiver from the odd sensation. Jack stopped right next to his ear, taking his earlobe in between his sharp teeth.

"I can pretend to be Jack if you want. Would that make it easier?"

"W-what?"

Mark noticed one of Jack's eyes were bloodshot, the iris tinted a dull green, while the other remained sky blue. His skin looked almost gray, making his features that much darker. Mark felt his blood freeze in his veins as he realised this wasn't his friend.

"..You're not Jack.."

Anti didn't respond, only widening his  toothy grin as he sat back up. He ran his hands up his bare chest, stopping at the now uncovered wound on his shoulder. Anti hesitated for a moment, tracing his fingers around it before pushing a finger into the wound, twisting his finger to deepen the penetration. Mark arched his back as he screamed, trying with all his might to push Anti off of him. He withdrew his finger, bringing it up to his lips as he tasted the crimson liquid running down his hand. Mark thrashed, eventually gaining enough force to send Anti tumbling to the floor, smacking his head off the coffee table in front of him. Mark sat up, expecting to see Anti but instead was looking down at a very confused Jack sitting below him. Jacks eyes met his, silently apologising for what he'd just done. 

"He's getting stronger Mark, I couldn't fight him off this time."

Mark didn't say anything, there was an uncomfortable tension between them, knowing either one could lose control at any moment. He offered Jack his hand, helping him back up to the couch. They heard a door open upstairs and heavy footsteps coming towards them. Dale was awake, turning on the living room light as he stared down at the two. Mark's chest was dripping blood, Jack's hands and face covered in it. Dale narrowed his eyes, his once kind expression melting into anger.

"What the fuck is going on down here?!"  
They didn't answer, both looking at each other for guidance. Dale's patience was wearing thin, grabbing the shot gun off the gun rack behind him. He pointed it at Jack, who was shaking with fear, clutching onto Mark's side.

"Both of you better start talking, now!"  
Mark tried to calm him down, raising both his hands up in the air as he stood, Jack following his lead.

"You don't understand, it's complicated." Mark said, trying to draw his attention away from Jack and onto him.

Dale kept the gun aimed at Jack, the two slowly walking towards him with their hands raised. Dale cocked the shotgun, his unforgiving gaze burning into them.

"Try me."

"I wouldn't even know where to start."

"You have one minute before I start blowing holes into you, so I suggest you hurry up and get to the point."

Jack spoke up, his voice shaking and cracking with fear.

"Ok..remember when I told you that I was bit by a human?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I'm that human, sort of."

Dale raised his eyebrows, at that point realising it was a mistake to let them into his home.

"You bit yourself?"

"Not exactly, we have another side to us, a darker side-"

Dale cut him off before he could finish what he was saying. Jack was right in front of him, the gun aimed at his chest. Mark was behind him, reaching out his hand for the gun.

"Stop right there. Don't say another word. I can see that my kindness was a mistake. You both need to leave, now!"

Mark looked up at Jack, who had his eyes screwed shut as if he were in pain, grabbing the sides of his head and grimacing. He turned his head, returning his gaze to Dale. Mark could sense Jack was becoming weak again, he had to get him out of there before someone else got hurt. He extended his hand, grabbing Jack's shoulder and bringing him closer to him.

"Wait, just let me explain. Don't do anything stupid. "

"I said get out!"

Dale brought the handle of the shotgun down across Jack's face, making him stumble back, clutching at his aching head. He stood up straight, letting his hands fall to his side. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as he opened his eyes, darkness engulfed him as he lost control. He smiled at Dale, his grin revealing a demented sense of amusement.

"Oh boy, now look what you've done motherfucker!"


	8. Chapter 8

Dale fired the gun at him, missing as Anti dodged the bullet. He grabbed  him by the neck, forcing him to drop his weapon as both his hands clawed at the fist around his neck. As Anti's influence over Jack became stronger, his body began to change. His nails grew longer, his canines extending to a sharp point. He retracted his lips, showing them to Dale as he pulled him in close to his face. Mark jumped onto his back, making him lose his grip on him as he turned his attention to Mark. Dale crumpled to the floor, struggling to breathe as Anti all but crushed his trachea. Mark held on to him, making Anti slam his back up against the unlit fireplace. Mark slid to the floor, grabbing the poker sitting next to him. Anti turned around as he shoved the pointed end into his abdomen. Anti slowly pulled it out, licking the end of it before throwing it to the side. The wound began to close up on its own, leaving Mark speechless.

"Hell of a thing ain't it? Sure as shit beats the hell outta dyin'." Anti growled, an amused smile spread across his lips. He turned his attention back to Dale, swiftly kicking him in his chest as he tried to crawl away. Anti spotted something in the kitchen that was too good to pass up. He grabbed the long knife from the counter, returning to Dale who was cowering on the floor in front of Mark. Anti picked him up by his neck, looking down at Mark as he showed him the knife. Mark's eyes widened as he realised what he was about to do. Mark tried to stand up, quickly doubling over as his back seized up from the pain. Anti giggled, catching Mark's attention as he sunk back down to the floor in defeat.

"Do I have your attention boy? You're about to see somethin' wonderful."

Anti shoved the knife into Dales stomach, slowly pulling the blade up. It effortlessly sliced through him like butter as Dale began making horrifying guttural noises, choking on his own blood. Mark's vision was blurry from the tears spilling from his eyes, unable to look away no matter how much he wanted to. Anti laughed hysterically as he carved Dale's body up like a turkey, blood and gore spilling across the floor as he worked on him. While Anti was focused on making Dale's body his new masterpiece, Mark took the opportunity to crawl away, silently slipping out the front door. It didn't take him long to notice Mark wasn't there anymore, he tossed Dale's mangled body across the room as he began to hunt for Mark. Anti calmly walked out of the house, his blood soaked skin illuminated by the moonlight. He took in a deep breath, smiling once he had his scent.  
"I can smell you."  
Mark tensed up, clenching a thick branch in his hands and he hid behind a tree. He heard footsteps coming towards him, the leaves crunching under the weight of Anti's feet. Mark furrowed his brow, sticking with his plan to smack the shit out of him with that branch if he found him. He peeked out from behind the tree, Anti spotting him immediately.

"Don't you go anywhere!" He growled as he picked up his pace, now running towards him. Mark stood up, ignoring the searing pain that ripped through his back as he tightly gripped the branch. Anti lunged at him, knocking him to the ground as the branch fell to his side. It was just out of reach as Anti pinned him to the ground, seeming to find all of this amusing. 

"Dark, so sad you couldn't come out to play with Dale. Don't worry, I carved your name into his arm for you."

Mark desperately tried to reach for the branch, his fingertips barely brushing up against it. Anti leaned down, his blood stained lips grazing the sensitive skin of Mark's neck, making him shudder.  
"It's too bad you're trapped in this luscious body, but maybe you won't mind if I have just a small taste to slate my thirst."  
Anti pulled back his lips, ready to sink his teeth into his neck when Mark grabbed the branch, smacking it off the back of Anti's head. His body jolted up, his eyes shut and his hand holding the back of his head. As Mark prepared to strike again, he opened his eyes, Jack's baby blues staring back at him. Mark paused, unsure if this was a trick or if that really was Jack. 

"J-jack? Is that you?" Mark asked hesitantly. Jack looked down at him, tears streaming down his cheeks as he realised what had happened. His features adjusting back to normal as Anti's influence fadded. He sat back on his knees, letting Mark sit up.

"Jack?" Mark asked again, a hint of hope in his voice.

Jack nodded his head as he sobbed, wiping away tears with the back of his hand. Mark practically tackled him as relief washed over him. Jack balled up his fists as he cried heavily into Mark's chest. Dale was dead because of him, not only that but he died for being a good person and helping two strangers in need. Jack just wanted to die at that point, wishing that blow to his head finished him off instead of pulling him out of Anti's grasp. Anti was truly a deranged beast, taking pleasure in causing as much pain as he could. I guess if he really was the antithesis of Jack, he was gonna have to be the fucking worst. Mark held him tightly until his sobs slowed down, gently running his fingers through his hair to calm him. Jack looked up at him, their eyes meeting.

"I don't deserve you, Mark." He said in a soft voice, making Mark frown. He didn't reply just pulled him closer and held him, kissing the top of his head. Jack whispered into his neck, making his heart shatter at his words.  
"I shouldn't be allowed to live."


	9. Chapter 9

Mark and Jack slowly made their way back to Dale's home, Jack stopping in the doorway once his eyes saw what he'd done. Dale lay on the floor, almost unrecognizable as his flesh was torn and bloodied. The name 'Dark' was crudely carved into his left arm. His eyes gouged out, and entrails spilled onto the floor surrounding him. Jack had to look away before he became sick, the feeling of guilt and self loathing making his stomach churn. How could he let this happen? It was a strange feeling, when Anti took over his body. It was like he was sinking into the floor, his body becoming numb as he would lose control. He could hear and see everything Anti was doing but had no control over his actions. It was comparable to being in VR but only as a spectator. There were no warning signs when this happened, no way to prevent his attacks, all he could do was fight like hell when it was happening. Jacks eyes darted over to Mark, who was gathering up their things and a few other necessities of Dale's. Jack sat on the couch, his head still throbbing from that blow to the head. Mark looked up at him, stopping what he was doing to focus on his distraught friend.  
"Jack? You ok?"  
Jack wouldn't give him eye contact, continuing to look down at his blood soaked hands as he spoke in a soft tone.  
"No. I'm not Ok, this is not Ok, Mark."  
Mark set the bags down, walking over to him and sitting down beside him. He wrapped his arm around him, letting Jack rest his head on his shoulder.  
"What are we gonna do now? Another innocent person is dead because of me."

"No, you didn't do this Jack, Anti did."

"But-"

"No. You are not him, you had no control over this just like I have no control over the things that Dark does. I've come to terms with that, you can't keep blaming yourself for the shit he does. You are the sweetest, most selfless person I've ever met, Jack. Don't ever forget that." Mark's tone was serious but sweet at the same time. He couldn't let Anti break him down like that.  
"But as for our next move, I'm not sure about that just yet, but we can't stay here. If Dale has any family or friends that notice his absence, it could lead to our capture if they come to check on him."  
Jack nodded his head in agreement, as much as he hated to admit it, he was more afraid of getting caught than he was of Anti. The thought of being locked away terrified him to his core. He looked up at Mark, meeting his gaze this time.   
"Where will we go?"

"I don't know, but as long as we're together that's all that matters to me. But we should probably avoid roping anyone else into this mess, so far it's gotten three people killed."  
Jack stood up, looking down at Dale's mangled body, the sight of it reminded him of Signe after he attacked her. For a brief moment, he was back in those woods behind Mark's house, hearing her plead for her life and those godawful screams. He shook his head, walking over to the bags on the floor and continuing to stuff their belongings in them. Mark joined him, grabbing Dale's medical bag as well, seeing as he didn't need it anymore. They finished up, packing more food and water for their journey before leaving the house. The sun was starting to rise, painting the sky in vibrant shades of orange and yellow against a blue canvas. Jack admired the beauty for a moment, taking Mark's hand in his. Mark was startled by the gesture at first, his body tensing up before intertwining his fingers with Jack's. For just a brief moment, they were just two friends enjoying the sunrise, nothing else mattered. But reality always tends to kick you when you least expect it, the sound of a car pulling up the empty driveway shattered their happy moment, pulling them back down to earth as their world crashed down upon them. Jack looked back as the engine died, seeing a young man sitting behind the wheel of the car. He was looking at them, confused as to who they were. Jack nudged Mark and they took off running into the woods surrounding them. The sound of a desperate and blood curdling scream echoed as they ran, that poor soul had just walked into his own personal hell, courtesy of Anti.


	10. Chapter 10

They ran until the screaming was too distant to hear, their hearts pounding as they slowed down their pace. Mark stopped, placing his hands on his knees as his chest heaved, trying to catch his breath. Jack looked back, leaning against a tree as he watched Mark. His hair stuck to his forehead, Dale's dried blood mixing with his sweat. Mark's eye caught sight of a road, pointing at it as he tried to speak.  
"Jack..t-there's a..r-road..up the hill."  
He said while panting heavily, Jack turned, seeing a road without any traffic. Where even were they? As they neared the road, a sign came into view.  
Arcadia 5mi

Mark figured they must be in the Angeles National Forest, the forest located not too far from his house. They walked for what seemed like hours, a few cars passing them, the passengers staring at Jack who was still coated in dried blood. They reached Arcadia, walking towards a small electronics store with a few televisions in the front window display. The news was playing with the subtitles on at the bottom, letting them see what they were talking about.

Breaking News: Local Vet Dale Rodgers was found brutally Murdered in his Los Angeles home this morning. He was found by his son, Edmond Rodgers who came to check on him after recieving a disturbing call from him last night. According to Rodgers, the victim found two bloodied strangers walking on his property, he took them in to give them medical treatment but called his son after the two had fallen asleep. Police are not ruling out robbery for a motive, as many of the victims personal things were taken. This is the third bizarre murder in Los Angeles county in the last week. Police have not yet commented if the victim is somehow connected with the murders of Felix Kjellburg and Signe Hansen. The murders also seem to correlate with the disappearance of Sean Mcloughlin and Mark Fischbach. The two have yet to be located and it is unclear if they are somehow involved. I'm Audrey Macavoy for CBS Los Angeles, stay tuned for more updates on this story as they come.

Mark looked at Jack, noticing a few of the stores employees were staring at him. One of them picked up the phone while another walked cautiously towards them.  
"Jack, we need to go." Mark grabbed him by the arm, shaking him until he looked away from the tv. "We need to go now!"   
They took off, the employee chasing after them, shouting for them to stop.   
The sound of police sirens echoed around them as they ran, Anti giggled in the back of Jack's mind, telling him there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Mark tripped over his own feet, colliding with the pavement. Dark decided that now was the perfect time for him to take control, waiting for the moment Mark was at his weakest. Mark curled up in a ball, gritting his teeth as his head throbbed. He was losing control quickly, his eyes changing as well as the rest of his body. Jack was panicking, watching Mark change in front of him as the police cruisers surrounded them. The officers stepped out of their cars, guns drawn as they yelled for Jack to get on the ground. The sudden feeling of his feet sinking into the ground consumed him, his body going numb as Anti followed Dark's lead. Jack fell to the ground, writhing in pain as Anti took over. Dark sat up, his black eyes burning into the officers as they pointed their weapons at them. He shot Anti a look and he nodded his head, a wide grin spreading over his face, making him look like the mad lunatic he really was. Dark cracked his neck before darting towards the officers, taking out two of them before they had a chance to fire their weapons. Anti followed after Dark, lunging at one of the female officers, tearing out her throat with his jagged teeth. The only officer left out of the four called for back up before Dark quickly disposed of him. They admired each others handy work, smiling at the lifeless bodies scattered at their feet as they heard more sirens approaching. Several officers surrounded them, firing their weapons at them without hesitation. It only took one shot to knock Anti down while the others piled on top of him, cuffing him as he screamed and thrashed. Dark took three shots to the chest before dropping to the ground, the officers shocked that he was still alive and had enough strength to be able to break one of their arms as they tried to cuff him. Eventually, they were restrained and sedated by the paramedics on site. Before Anti lost consciousness, he overheard dispatch telling them to transport them to San Gabriel Valley Psychiatric hospital, the very same place Mark called home after the incident with Amy.


	11. Chapter 11

Mark's eyes fluttered open, his vision made blurry from the bright lights above his head. The constant and rhythmic beeping of machines filled his ears, along with a few unfamiliar voices talking in the background. He tried to sit up, his movements hindered by the leather restraints that bound his wrists and ankles. Panic began to set in as he realised he couldn't move and was tied to something cold and metal, the metallic sound of the buckel scraping against the steel bars gave that much away. As his eyes adjusted to the lighting, he could just make out what appeared to be a heart monitor next to him, the wires attached to the leads on his chest confirmed that. He began pulling against the leather restraints, the material chafing his tan skin as he pulled hard. The voices grew quiet as he struggled, a figure dressed in green scrubs and a white lab coat stepped up to him, the smaller male in red scrubs walking to the opposite side of the hospital bed. Mark's head jerked up, eyeing the two unfamiliar men with a look of uncertainty. The taller male spoke up, his deep and raspy voice filling up the room that was previously occupied by the sounds of hospital equipment.

"I see you're awake Mr.Fischbach, how do you feel?"

Mark's gaze shifted between the two men as the smaller male shined a bright light in his eyes, checking his pupil reaction. He squinted his eyes, his heart thumping against his ribs as his anxiety grew out of control. He tried to speak, this voice coming out as only a weak whisper.

"Where the fuck am I?! Who are you people?! Where's Jack?!"

The two men surrounding him gave each other concerning glances, their gaze then falling back to focus on him.

"I know you have a lot of questions and I'll get to that in due time, you were in a bit of a scuffle with the police, having taken three shots to the chest and living to tell the tale is truly astonishing."

Mark's mind flashed to the moment Dark took over, the sight of what he did to the officers now fresh in his mind. He couldn't help the stray tear that fell down his cheek as his head hit the pillow behind him. The smaller male was busy checking his vitals, taking out the needles that pierced his veins, and detaching the leads from his chest. It seemed the taller male was his superior, maybe a doctor and the other being a nurse.

"When you came to us a few days ago, we had to sedate you multiple times, the first few attempts didn't seem to do much. You were restrained, like you are now, to protect the staff as well as yourself. We ran a toxicology screen, certain that a few illicit drugs would pop up but, the only thing you were on at the time was Percocet. Also, we were told that you were shot, but when you came in, we couldn't find anything."

It would seem Dark was sampling a few of his gifts, Mark remembering when he stabbed Anti with the fireplace poker that did fuck all to him. He tried to continue listening to the man that was speaking, but his mind kept returning to Jack. He needed to know if he was ok. Was he here with him? What even is this place?

"As far as your companion goes, Mr.Mcloughlin, well he was more of a problem. We had to isolate him in one of our padded cells due to his violent outbursts. He severely injured one of the orderlies, as well as a nurse that had tried to sedate him. Last I heard, he was finally able to calm down."

The terms he was using, orderlies, padded cells, sedation, Mark knew exactly the type of hospital they were in. This was a psychiatric hospital, and by the sound of it, one with maximum security for violent patients. He felt his heart skip a beat, wondering what kind of condition Jack was in. He hoped he wasn't hurt, that he would be able to see him, but he knew they wouldn't allow something like that, at least not now.

"Try and remain calm, Mr.Fischbach. We are just gonna give you something to make you a bit more compliant with us."

His eyes darted back to the nurse who was drawing up a yellow liquid with a syringe, they were gonna sedate him again, probably for transfer to the main housing unit. Mark had gone through this charade before, knowing exactly what to expect, but this time he had Jack to worry about. The nurse pushed the needle into his arm, pushing down the plunger and sending the yellow fluid into his veins. It didn't take long for his head to start feeling like a sack of bricks, too heavy to move just like the rest of his body. He saw a few other people flush into the room, followed by someone all too familiar to him. The sound of a swedish accent swirled around his foggy head, as the man that produced it walked into view. Before his heavy lids closed, Dr.Hill told them to place him in the lockdown unit with Jack, making a small smile curl up the sides of his mouth before everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

Mark awoke to the sound of soft crying, the sobs almost too quiet to hear unless you were listening for it. His eyes slowly opened, taking in the white fabric that covered the walls. The lights were dim and flickered off and on at random intervals. He sat up, no longer restrained but none the less, his wrists and ankles had marks from the leather restraints embedded into his skin. His blurry vision took in his surroundings, noticing the walls were lined with thick white padding, the door was made of clear strong plastic, allowing him to see into the hallway and into the room across from him. There sat a small man with faded green hair, dressed in all white just like himself. He was lightly crying, obviously terrified of his current situation. Mark's eyes widened, feeling relieved that the man he was seeing was Jack but, at the same time his heart was breaking from watching him fall apart. Mark moved off of the bed he was laying on, sitting down directly in front of the door so Jack could see him.

"Jack!"

Jack's head jerked up, his red, puffy eyes meeting with Mark's. For a moment he thought he saw Jack smile, but that was short lived. Jack pulled himself up against the door, placing a hand on the thick plastic, Mark returned the gesture, smiling at him. 

"Mark...I'm so scared." Jack said in a low voice, Mark could feel how vulnerable he was right now. It reminded him of his first night here, when he tried to take his own life.

"I know Jack, I am too."

Jack lowered his head, bringing his knees up into his chest. Mark couldn't tell of he was injured, the dim lighting not doing him any favors.

"Are you hurt?"

Jack shook his head, resting his chin on his knees and wrapping his thin arms around his legs. He looked so broken, making Mark wish they didn't have these plastic barriers between them.   
"No. But I hurt two more people, Anti won't stop talking about it."

"Yeah I heard. I guess Dark really did a number on the hospital staff, they had to sedate him a few times before it worked."

Mark heard Dark chuckle in the back of his mind, obviously proud of his actions. Mark tried to ignore him, not wanting to give him the attention he craved. He returned his attention to Jack, trying to get any information he could from him.

"Have they told you anything?"

Jack sighed, a few tears spilling out of his blue eyes.

"Just that I'm gonna be here for a very long time. I'm too unstable to place in the general population. I guess I'll be seeing Dr.Hill today for a therapy session or something like that."

"Good luck with that. He's nice but isn't very efficient at his job, I mean, he let me go home and look what happened."  
Jack let out a low laugh, finding some dark humor in that statement.  
"Yeah.."  
Mark's eyes trailed over to a heavy set woman with darker skin walking up to Jack's cell, she had purple scrubs on and was accompanied by two tall men on either side of her. Both of them well built and wearing all white.  
She had a thick southern accent laced with enough sass to make even Felix jealous. God, he really missed his annoying ass.

"Sèan? Time to go honey, are you gonna be nice or do I have to have Aaron and Michael persuade you this time."  
Jack looked up at her, placing both hands in the air like he was surrendering.

"I'll go quietly ma'am."

"Alright, but they're gonna be right next to us the whole time in case you try anything. Can't end up like the last two that tried to handle you."

"I'm sorry.." Jack whispered, the woman not paying that comment any attention. She pulled her badge off of the hem of her scrub top, swiping it into the keypad lock on the front of the door, her chubby fingers punching in the code to unlock his door. The light above his door flashed from green to red as the door clicked open. The two men pushed the door open, grabbing his arms and pulling him to his feet. They lead him out into the hallway, closing his cell door as the light flashed back to green.

"Come on, Dr.Hill is waiting for you."  
Jack gave Mark one final look before they dragged him towards the double doors. The woman doing the same to those doors to let them out.  
"See ya Mark."  
Mark placed his hands against the door, watching as Jack disappeared from his view. The loud buzzing echoing around the building as the doors shut and locked again.  
"Stay strong Jack."


	13. Chapter 13

Jack sat on a small red leather couch, his leg bouncing up and down as he stared over at the man sitting behind the desk across from him. His nerves were getting the better of him, making his nervous tick show itself again as he picked at his nails. Dr.Hill had his glasses sitting on the edge of his nose as he looked down at his laptop, his fingers smacking the keys on the keyboard as he typed. He looked over at Jack who was beginning to bite at his nails, quickly closing the laptop and standing to his feet.

"Sèan. Why are you so nervous? Do I make you feel uneasy?"

Jack shook his head, setting his hands back into his lap as he looked up at him.

"A little. I'm still getting used to this place."

Dr.Hill took a seat in the arm chair across from him, sitting back and pressing the record button on the camera. For a moment, Jack missed his old life, he missed recording videos, YouTube, and most of all, the people he'd lost. He'd never see Bob and Wade, talk to his fans, or play games again. This was his life now, and he was just a shadow of his former self.

"You don't need to be afraid Sèan, I'm only here to help you."

"You can't help me." Jack muttered, anger filling him up as he felt himself lose control. Anti was itching to get out again, practically clawing his way to the surface.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because what I have isn't something that can be cured."  
Dr.Hill chuckled, taking off his glasses and setting them on the table next to him.

"Oh I doubt that Sèan. Now, tell me, why are you here?"

Jack's head snapped up, his eyes burning into the man across from him. He was trying so hard to contain himself, having some of Anti's anger spilling out of him as he struggled.

"What kind of fuckin question is that? I know why I'm here, I've killed people, I'm a vicious psychopath that needs to be put down like a rabid dog!"

"Sèan, calm down. I don't want to have to restrain you."

"Why the fuck not?! That's all you people know how to do around here, just drug them and tie them up!"

Dr.Hills finger hovered over a small panic button on the table next to him. Once he presses it, Jack would be violently restrained and sedated, and he was trying to avoid that if he could. He wanted Jack to open up to him, and force wasn't a method he wanted to use unless he had to.

"This is your final warning Sèan. Calm down, I'm only trying to help you."

Jack closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths as he regained control. Anti was pissed, he would make him pay for that later. Maybe a few fucked up dreams would set him straight.

"Good, deep breaths in and out. That's it, very good."

Jack's eyes opened again, lowering his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from."

"You have a lot of anger Sèan, if you want to have any chance of improvement, we're going to have to find the root of the problem."

"And how do we do that?"

"Well you have two options, you can tell me or I can put you under hypnosis."

Tears welled up in his eyes, the memory of that night with Dark was still fresh in his mind, even though they had discussed what happened, it never took away the pain.

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't. I just wanna forget that it happened and move on.." He whispered, his voice breaking as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I'm afraid that's not an option. Now I can see that you're not going to open up to me just yet, and I can't help you if you're not willing to try and help yourself."

"Please don't do this..please Just leave me alone."

Dr. Hill sat forward in his chair, giving Jack a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Sèan, I'm not going to put you under until you're ready and willing, otherwise it won't be useful."

A wave of relief washed over him, he was almost certain that hypnosis would be one of the many ways Anti could take control of him, knowing there was no way he'd be able to fight him off. Going back to that night with Dark, the night he let Anti In, wasn't a good idea.

"But having said that, I would like to eventually get to that point in your therapy. I think it would be beneficial to face your demons, so to speak."

Jack couldn't help but tense up after he said that. He had no idea how true that was for him, Anti was his demon, his nightmare. Bound to torture him all the days of his life.

"Now, having observed you for the past few days I can confidently give you a diagnosis that fits your symptoms. Bipolar psychosis fits your symptoms very well, with your depressive and manic episodes. Also speaking of this 'Anti' character as if he's real, indicates a break from reality. I want to start you on some medication and see how you do. In the mean time, you'll continue to be in the lockdown unit until I no longer feel that you're a threat."

Dr.Hill glanced down at his wrist watch, raising an eyebrow before smiling up at Jack.

"I'm afraid our time is up for today Sèan, I'll have the orderlies see you back to your cell."

Jack stood as the two men grabbed his arms and lead him back out into the hallway, the woman from before impatiently waiting. They escorted him back to his cell, pushing him in and locking the door behind him. Jack sat on the bed, looking over at Mark's cell to see him asleep. He layed back on the bed, placing his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.  
Anti whispered in his ear, sending a chill up his spine. 

"The only way they'll let you leave is in a body bag."


	14. Chapter 14

~One month later~

/"I've been having severe panic attacks ever since my first session with Dr.Hill, they got so bad that the staff had no choice but to let Mark into my cell with me just to calm me down. They noticed how much he helped the first time, talking me through it while still across the hall but soon that stopped working and they began letting him comfort me through touch. There were no warnings when Anti would say or do something to trigger one, mostly he does it whenever he feels like causing me the most pain. The medication doesn't help at all, I'm not surprised since Anti isn't the result of a psychiatric disorder. Dr.Hill thought music might help as well, and surprisingly it does. The melody is just so soft and beautiful, combined with Mark's touch, they help bring me back from the precipice of destruction. So far I've had two attacks a day, several violent outbursts, and have injured another orderly just because he looked at me funny. Anti's getting so hard to contain, and I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to continue doing this. Certainly not for the rest of my life, however short I'm going to cut it. Forgive me Mark, but I can't do this anymore."/

Jack's chest tightens, his heart is pounding as another attack pulls him down to the floor. He was completely fine five minutes prior, talking with Mark across the hall to pass the time. He suddenly noticed an eerie feeling creep up his spine, the lights flickered, shutting off for no more than a second due to the storm outside. When they came back on, Anti was standing In front of Jack, with his hand wrapped tightly around his neck. He wasn't actually there, Jack knew that, but the hallucination was enough to trigger an anxiety attack, and this one was gonna be bad. Mark saw him drop to his knees, clutching his throat and struggling to breathe. Mark's heart sank, knowing what was happening. He banged his fists on the thick plastic, trying desperately to get the staff's attention. 

"Hey! It's happening again! Let me out, Jack needs me!"

Mark's attention was drawn to the two orderlies that quickly walked in, the plump nurse right behind them with her badge in hand. She quickly unlocked his door, not bothering to escort him out, seeing as he was pretty well behaved aside from the occasional outbursts he had. She unlocked Jack's door as the soothing music poured through the PA system in the building. Mark wrapped him up in his arms as the door shut and locked behind him, they gently rocked  as Mark ran his fingers through Jacks hair and whispered soothing words in his ear. Jack was struggling to breathe, his chest feeling like it was in a vice grip. Sweat beaded across his forehead, and tears were pouring from his eyes. He tightly closed his eyes and tried to focus on the soothing music around him, along with Mark's gentle touch on his skin. But each time he was starting to feel grounded, Anti would cut his rope tethered to the earth. He was spiraling out of control, feeling like his heart would give out from the immense stress, and this time, he was ok with that. What he didn't tell Mark, was that he was pocketing and hiding the barbituites they were giving him. He had planned to overdose that night, feeling like death was his only way to escape. Funny thing is, Anti didn't seem worried at all, almost like he wanted him to do it. Mark cupped Jack's face in his hands, looking him straight in the eye.  
"Jack, look at me. I need you to come back. Please, don't leave me. I need you."

Jack focused on Mark's face, he forced his brain to study the details of his features. He studied the color of his eyes, the soft brown pigment that he could get lost in so easily. He noted his strong jaw, the slight stubble that ran across his cheeks and chin. He admired his black hair, how it shined and always seemed to fall over his eyes. He was beginning to come back down, with each feature he focused on, he was that much closer to earth, and that much closer to Mark. Mark smiled, his plump lips pulled tightly against his white teeth. And just as quickly as it started, it was over. Mark wrapped him in a tight hug, spilling a few tears along with Jack. Some would think that this was a romantic moment, that Mark helping Jack was some selfless act of love, but the reality was so much uglier. These moments were terrifying to them, not something to be romanticized. Jack pulled back from their embrace, looking up at Mark with tired eyes.

"Thank you Mark. I didn't think I'd make it out of that one alive."

"You don't need to thank me Jack. I do it because I want to, and I need you just as much as you need me."

Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair slick with sweat. His green hair had faded to a light lime color with hints of yellow. 

"It's getting worse Mark. How are you able to keep Dark suppressed? I don't ever see you struggle like I do."

"Dark is smarter than Anti, he knows that violence against the staff won't get him what he wants. But, I don't have as much control over him as you think I do. I struggle internally every second of the day, Dark just chooses to torment me while I sleep. I can't tell you how many times I've watched you die in my dreams, unable to do shit about it."

At that moment Jack felt guilty about what he was planning to do. Mark would be left alone, without anyone who understood what he was going through. He couldn't do that to him, he wouldn't be the cause of more pain  and suffering. As much as he wanted to leave this all behind, he wasn't going anywhere without Mark by his side


	15. Chapter 15

Jack stared up at the white tile ceiling in his cell. It's been quiet and lonely without Mark, since Dr.Hill's had him in therapy most of the morning. Well on the outside it's quiet but, on the inside, Anti's been slowly driving him insane. There's never a moment of peace anymore, it's like he's constantly fighting for control. That fact alone has increased the amount of anxiety attacks he's been having, causing him to fall into a deep depression. His ears perked up when he heard the familiar buzzing sound of the doors unlocking, followed by the voice of that nurse, that for some odd reason despised him. He stood up, looking out into the hallway to see if Mark was back. He was back alright, and he looked like shit. He had puffy red eyes and a blank stare. What the hell did he do to him?! The orderlies shoved him into his cell, locking his door before turning their attention to Jack. He swallowed hard, hoping they would just leave him alone today. The nurse, whose name happened to be Sandra, opened his cell and stepped back so the orderlies could pull him out.  
"Where are you taking me?" Jack asked in a meek voice.  
"To Disney World, where the fuck do you think I'm taking you?!" She snapped at him, causing him to recoil at her harsh demeanor. She rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed that she even had to speak to him. Jack's never had this effect on someone before, sure he had people who disliked him, maybe even hated him, but he's always been able to charm those he met in person. Sandra was a different story, she was unreadable and unwilling to extend an olive branch to him. She lead him to Dr.Hill's office, where he was patiently waiting in the arm chair. The orderlies sat him down on the couch before turning and leaving them alone. Dr.Hill smiled up at him before pressing the record button on the camera, grabbing his notepad and pen as well. 

"Sèan, so good to see you again." 

"Yeah, these visits always brighten my day.."  
Dr.Hill laughed, seeming to find amusement in his snarky comment.

"Ah, sarcasm, what a wonderful defense mechanism. And might I say, one you're well versed in. You've built up quite a sturdy wall, making sure nobody sees what's hiding in the dark recesses of your mind. Well, today, I'm gonna break that wall. It's time you faced your demons, Sèan."

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, noticing Anti had grown strangely quiet.  
"I thought you said you wouldn't put me under unless I was ready and willing?"

"That I did, but I'm only putting you under a light hypnosis, putting you in a lucid dream like state. You'll be aware that what you're seeing is a memory, so it's not as frightening as being completely immersed in it. Though you'll be highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestion, which means I can't give you any information about what happened, I have to allow you to describe what you're seeing in real time."  
Jack layed back on the couch, looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"How will I know when I'm 'dreaming'?"

"Trust me, you'll know the second it happens. Are you ready to get started?"

"I guess I don't really have a choice now do I?"  
Dr.Hill smiled at him, pulling out a metronome and tapping the pendulum.

"Now you're gettin' it. Alright Sèan, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the ticking. Let me know when you're relaxed and we'll continue."

Jack took a deep breath, feeling his muscles relax as he focused on the ticking.

"I'm relaxed."

"Ok, now I want you to think about the moment you were the most vulnerable. I want you to take me there and describe what you're seeing and what you're feeling. Leave no details out."

Jack suddenly was pulled from the couch he was laying on, to the mattress in Mark's bedroom. He looked up, staring at the ceiling that still had some blood spattered on it. Dark was sitting on the edge of the bed, his bare torso showing just how intimidating his frame was. Jack could feel the cold air wrap around his bare body as he layed there, too weak to move. What he wasn't aware of, was that his body was subconsciously telling Dr.Hill every painstaking detail while it was happening. Dark leaned over him, a smile pulled tightly over his mouth, making his teeth poke out from under his lips. 

"I figured we would at least talk about what's going to happen, seeing as your too weak to do shit about it anyway."

Jack wearily turned his head to the side, his half lidded eyes barely able to stay open.

"Why don't you just kill me? What's the point of keeping me alive?"

"To break you down. You don't think I know about your little secret? The depression that you've desperately tried to hide?"

Jack now understood what he was actually referring to. Yes, he had depression, but it was all just a clever rouse to weaken him to the point of letting Anti in. The memory played out, making him relive that moment all over again. 

"How do you know about that?"

"I can see it behind your eyes, it's always there just waiting to consume you. After today, it will."

"Is Mark ever going to come back? Can he see any of this?"

Jack knew he was gonna lie, Mark could see everything, at that moment he could only think about what Mark was feeling as this was happening.

"Not anytime soon. He's taking a much needed rest from reality for a while, making me the dominant personality. As for him being aware of what's going on, the answer is no. I've purposely blocked him from seeing or hearing anything that I do. That would only cause him more pain, knowing his precious Jack is about to make septiplier a reality. Well sort of."

 

Then it happened, Dark flipped him over on his stomach, violently pinning him down against the mattress. There was a strong metallic odor coming off of the mattress still stained with blood. He tried to mentally escape, focusing on literally anything else than what was happening at that moment. Nothing was working, so instead, his mind began to imagine that it was Mark who was on top of him. That made it a little easier, but deep down he knew this wasn't Mark. His hands gripped the sheets, almost tearing them as Dark forced himself into him. The pain was unbearable, a sharp pain that felt like he was being split in two. Tears stained the mattress, along with the blood that trickled down his backside. It felt as though hours had passed with no sign of him stopping. He closed his eyes, feeling his body start to respond to what Dark was doing. Even though his mind was screaming that he wanted no part of this, a part of him was twitching for the demented lunatic above him. Eventually his own body betrayed him, coming undone with a sickening melody of tears and groans. Dark leaned over his back, whispering in his ear that he belonged to him now. Eventually, Dark grew bored of this and stopped. Letting Jack have a moment of peace before he dragged him by his arms down the hallway and tossed him down the stairs. The memory began to fade, the sound of Dr.Hills voice snapping him out of it and bringing him back to the couch in his office. He was completely unaware of just how hard he was crying, the front of his shirt was soaked with tears, his head aching like it usually did when he cried. Dr.Hill was looking at him, he appeared to be showing him sympathy, something he's never done before.   
"I'm going to have the nurse give you something to help you sleep. We're done for today."  
And just like that, he was helped back to his cell. The nurse injected him with a yellow liquid, making his head feel heavy. He fell back on the bed as his eyes closed. Mark was asleep, he assumed they did the same to him as well. Maybe they would meet in their dreams, or perhaps it would be better not to dream at all, maybe then he would finally be at peace.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack awoke in a daze, his head throbbing from sleeping in such an odd position. Mark was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor. Everyday it's the same thing, their days consisting of a structured schedule to keep them 'calm'. They were only allowed out for an hour a day, excluding if one of them had therapy. They had meals together in their little lunch area, and were permitted a quick shower every other day. All of this was supervised, considering Jack has attacked Mark on several occasions during meals, one time almost stabbing him with a fork before the orderlies restrained him. Mark didn't hold it against him, he knew Jack would never hurt him if he could help it. It seemed like he was slowly losing his grasp on Anti, becoming more unstable as the days went on. Especially after his last session with Dr.Hill, Mark tried to talk to him about it but he completely shut down. As if on queue, the door buzzed and Nurse Sandra walked in with her usual escorts. She seemed to take a liking to Mark, constantly flirting and touching him whenever she could. For some reason this infuriated Jack, making him feel emotions he's never felt before. Anti could sense this and used it against him, constantly taunting him and whispering in his ear how easily she could go away if he just let him out. It was 9:30am so it was Mark's turn to shower. She opened his door, giving him a coy smile as he walked with her towards the showers. She handed him a towel and turned to leave. Since Mark was the more stable of the two, he was granted certain privileges that Jack wasn't, like showering alone for a short period of time. Mark turned the hot water on, letting the steam fill up the room. He glanced both ways before making his way to the mirror, placing both hands on the sink as he stared at his reflection.

"Ok Dark, you've been far too quiet lately. I know you're up to something."

Mark watched his reflection change, the mirror reflecting Dark's face, smiling at him.

"Now what could possibly make you think that?" Dark said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Why have you been so quiet? You're making me nervous."

"You sure it's me that's making you nervous and not Jack?"

Mark furrowed his brows, feeling a protective instinct boil over inside his chest.   
"Don't bring him into this. You made him this way you fucking prick!"  
Dark chuckled, his unnaturally deep voice making the hair stand up on Mark's arms.  
"So it is Jack. I thought so."

"You really fucked him up and I don't know how to help him."

"You could always kill him." Dark said matter of factly. His face remaining indifferent. Mark wasn't able to hurt Jack, let alone kill him. All he ever wanted to do was protect him.

"What?!"

"Think about it, you'd be showing him mercy. Jack is corrupted by that parasite, Anti. If you kill Jack, you kill Anti."

"Why should I trust you? You've done nothing but lie to me!"  
Dark scoffed, rolling his eyes at Mark like he was somehow offended.  
"You don't have to trust me. I'm only stating what I know, take it or leave it."

"I could never hurt Jack, why am I even considering this?!"

"Obviously if you're considering it, you would hurt him. You like to think that you're better than me, but you're not. We are the same Mark, and this needs to happen. Set him free."  
Dark had a hint of compassion hidden in his voice, making Mark want to trust him. Dark was able to lure people in like a siren. Calling out to them with hopeful promises, only to utterly destroy them in the end. It was one of his many talents, one he continually used on Mark. He felt tears well up in his eyes, thinking about how hollow Jack has become since this started. He was completely crippled by Anti, and Mark wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to fight him off before he just gave up. Maybe Dark was right this time, maybe he'd be showing him mercy.

"If you love him, you'll put him out of his misery. Look at what he's become! Are you really that selfish that you'd let him suffer just so you don't have to be alone!? You're pathetic Mark! You're weak, you've always been weak! If you don't have the balls to end him, I'll just do it for you, slowly and painfully!"

"No! Don't touch him.."  
Mark pressed his hands up against the glass surface. Dark's face softened, giving Mark a smile that sent a shiver up his spine.

"Here, let me help you."  
Mark felt his arms go numb, watching as Dark balled up his fists and smashed them against the glass. Shards of glass scattered across the floor as Mark's hand dripped blood down his fingers. Dark grabbed a large jagged shard of glass, holding it up to Mark's eye level.  
"Use this. Go for his throat, if you're quick enough, he won't even know what hit him. I promise."

Mark wrapped the glass in the towel as soon as Dark gave him control. He quickly showered as to not make the staff suspicious, if he took too long they'd come to check on him. He heard a knock on the door, the nurse coming in to take him back to his cell. He was already dressed and the makeshift blade stuffed into the pocket of his pants. Good thing she didn't notice his hand or the broken mirror for that matter. For once, Mark was thankful for his ability to charm her. By the time he reached his cell, Jack was already in therapy, leaving him with only his thoughts and Dark.


	17. Chapter 17

Mark shifted uncomfortably on the bed, stiffening once he heard a low rumble of thunder through the thick walls. He could faintly see a flash of lightning through the small windows in the hall as the lights flickered. The wind howled and the heavy rain pounded against the windowpane. Dark let out a low laugh, his deep voice echoing inside of Mark's head.

"This should make things a bit more interesting. Poor Jackaboys gonna have a hell of a panic attack soon."

Mark sighed, his head hung low as his hand traced the outline of the glass blade. The familiar buzzing sound of the doors snapped him out of his emotions that seemed to be suffocating him. Sandra walked in, followed by Jack, who had an orderly firmly attached to his arms. He looked so broken, his eyes hooded and bloodshot. Mark noticed the deep purple bags underneath his eyes, further cementing that this needed to happen. He wouldn't let Jack just waste away to nothing simply because he needed him. Jack needed to be free from Anti, who was slowly sucking the life out of him. They placed him on his bed, leaving the door open for a second before looking over at Mark. Sandra returned her gaze to Jack, lifting his chin with her hand so she could see his face. She was actually being kind to him, something Mark never thought he would see. A loud crack of thunder reverberated throughout the hall, making Jack tense up as the lights flickered. His breathing became shallow and rapid, his eyes widening.  
Jack looked over to Mark with desperation, Sandra took notice and crouched down to his level.  
"Another anxiety attack?"  
Jack nodded his head as the pressure in his chest increased and he struggled to breathe.

"Do you want me to let Mark in or do you wanna try the Ativan this time?" She said while taking a prefilled syringe out of her scrub pocket. Jack shook his head, his voice strained as he tried to speak.

"M-mark p-please."

She stood up, quickly unlocking Mark's door before Jack's condition worsened. Mark felt his heart skip a beat as he walked over to him, he thought it almost stopped when Jack smiled up at him. Sandra shut and locked the door behind him, the lights surged throughout the building as lightning struck close by. It must have hit a power line because the entire building went dark, except for the red lights in the hallway and cells that were powered by the back up generator. Unfortunately for Mark, that meant that the doors wouldn't be able to be opened until the power was back on, seeing as they were electronically operated. Sandra let out a sigh of pure annoyance, rolling her eyes as she walked over to the doors that were left open.  
"I'm sorry boys, the powers out and I'm needed elsewhere. Just keep each other company for now and just don't try and kill each other while I'm gone." She heard Jack whimper in response, almost too quietly to hear.  
"It's ok Sèan, Mark knows what he's doing. He'll help you though it."  
She turned and left, leaving them alone together. Mark pulled him into his lap, the red glow of the emergency lights dimly illuminating his face. He just wanted to hold him one last time, to remember the feel of Jack's skin against his. Jack seemed to calm down the tighter Mark held him, it was almost as if it would be the last time he'd be able to do it. Jack felt his heavy lids close, feeling safe in Mark's arms as they sat on the bed. Before he knew it, Jack was asleep. Mark gently layed him back on the bed, hovering over him as he pulled out the glass from his pocket. His hands were shaking, making him almost drop it several times. He took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he built up the courage to say his goodbyes.  
"Jack.." he whispered softly, noticing Jack didn't respond or move.  
"I love you with all my heart, and it's been a privilege to be able to call you a friend. I remember the first time I saw you, how excited you were to finally meet me. I never told you this but, I was just as excited to meet you. You're a rare gem, a shining beacon of hope in this shitty world. But your lights grown dim and weak and I can't watch him slowly kill you anymore. I'm sorry Jack, I'm doing this because I love you...please forgive me for what I'm about to do."

Mark leaned down, his lips brushing against Jacks as he lightly kissed him. Jacks eyes fluttered open, looking a little confused before be saw the glass Mark held against his neck.  
"...Oh.." Jack breathed, feeling himself give in to what was about to happen. Mark felt tears fall from his eyes as he looked into Jack's. They looked so sad, the icey blue pigment chilling him to the bone. Jack pressed his forehead against Mark's, reaching down and grabbing his hand that held the jagged glass. Jack was sobbing just as hard as Mark was as he pressed Mark's hand against his throat.  
"I'll see you on the other side. Thank you, Mark.."  
Jack slid the glass across this neck, blood began pouring from the open wound, saturating the white sheets underneath him. His eyes never left Mark's, holding onto his shaking hand as he slipped away.  
"I l-love y-you." He choked out, his words almost unintelligible from the amount of blood leaking from his mouth. His grip on Mark's hand weakened as he drew in his last quivering breaths. His body suddenly fell limp, his lifeless eyes remaining open and staring into Mark's.   
Mark sank down to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably with his head in his hands. He had completely lost the will to go on, without Jack he had nothing. So he slashed the glass across his wrist, watching as his blood pooled on the floor, mixing with Jack's. Mark's head hung low, letting himself slowly bleed out. He was almost to the point of passing out when a low laugh caught his attention. Jack's lips were pulled tightly across his sharp teeth as he laughed hysterically. How the fuck was he laughing?! Jack sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and stood over Mark.   
He crouched down to his level, smiling a sadistic smile at him.  
"Anti.." Mark breathed out, his voice a mere whisper. Anti giggled, lifting Mark's chin with a clawed finger.  
"Hello Mark. You know I didnt think you'd actually do it. I guess I'm in Dark's debt now."  
Mark pulled his face away from Anti, feeling like an idiot for even listening to Dark in the first place.  
"That lying sack of shit!"  
Anti rolled his eyes and chuckled.  
"Very fitting, Mark."  
He noticed Mark was trying to reach the glass, his fingers too weak to pick it up. Anti swiped it up, holding it in front of Mark's face.  
"You know, when you cut too deep you cut the tendons, finger movement goes out the window."  
Mark nodded his head weakly at his other wrist.  
"Do you mind?"

"No, of course not. It would be my pleasure to kill you quicker."  
Anti drug the glass slowly across Mark's wrist, hearing him hiss in pain as more blood poured out of him. He looked up at Anti's smug face, using his last bit of energy to speak.  
"How is this possible. How are you here right now? I killed Jack, shouldn't you be dead as well?"

"No. This was the end game this entire time. Now that Jack is gone, I'm free to fully possess his body. It was Dark's brilliant idea, by the way."  
Mark's head fell forward, his body slumping down to the floor.  
"Feelin' light headed yet?"  
Mark nodded his head, feeling his heavy lids close as his heart stopped beating.  
"Goodbye Mark, thanks for doing the dirty work for us."  
It only took a few moments before Dark opened his eyes, sitting up and smiling at Anti. Just then the power kicked back on, the door buzzed and Sandra walked in alone. Anti gave Dark a sinister smile as she mindlessly opened the door to Jack's cell.  
"Well, this should be fun."


End file.
